Arsenal in ‘advanced talks’ to beat Barcelona to ‘Pedri clone’

Arsenal are reportedly beating Barcelona in the race to sign Alberto Moleiro, who has often been compared to Pedri.

A report from El Nacional has revealed that the Catalan giants are hoping to repeat their trick with Pedri. Their midfielder signed from Las Palmas for just €5 million in 2019 and he has gone on to become one of the best young players in the world today.

Moleiro has often been compared to Pedri: they are a similar age and both came up through the youth ranks at UD Las Palmas, though the Spain U21 player remains there.

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El Nacional has stated that: “Moleiro is on Barça’s agenda, and they are considering making an attempt to sign him next summer” but right now “Arsenal are in very advanced talks to get him out of the Gran Canaria Stadium.”

Captain Martin Odegaard is Arsenal’s first choice in the No.10 role. The Norwegian playmaker was sorely missed when he was injured earlier this season between September and November, and his return has seen an upward tick in performances.

It’s thought that adding depth to their squad is why the Gunners have set their sights on Moleiro. They feel that he could deputies Odegaard in the coming years. The 21-year-old has progressed well this season and would work well in a possession-based system.

Arsenal’s Bouaddi interest

Arsenal have been linked to another youngster this week – with Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi being of interest, per reports. The 17-year-old midfielder has quickly risen to prominence this season and has slowly become a regular in the French club’s senior squad in the 2024/25 campaign, making 15 appearances across all competitions so far.

And teenager’s impressive performances have attracted interest from top Premier League sides such as Arsenal Chelsea and Liverpool, according to CaughtOffside. The site also says that Serie A giants AC Milan are monitoring the situation closely.

Lille head coach Bruno Genesio spoke highly of the teenage talent earlier this year. “He demonstrated all the potential, all the talent he has. We know what he’s capable of. He’s a boy with a very good head on his shoulders. He has the talent to play at this level. He needs to keep proving himself, but I don’t think there’s too much to worry about with him.”